The Michigan Center for Rural Health Signs on as HHI Supporting Organization

RESTON, Va. — The Healthier Hospitals Initiative announced that the Michigan Center for Rural Health has become a supporting organization of the HHI.

HHI was launched by twelve hospital systems — Advocate Health Care, Bon Secours Health System, Catholic Health Initiatives, Dignity Health, Gundersen Health System, Hospital Corporation of America, Inova Health System, Kaiser Permanente, MedStar Health, Partners HealthCare, Stanford University Medical Center and Tenet Health Systems (including former Vanguard hospitals) — along with Practice Greenhealth, Health Care Without Harm and the Center for Health Design, in May of 2010.

HHI is a coordinated sector-wide approach based on the premise that how we design, build and operate hospitals can improve patient outcomes and workplace safety, prevent illnesses, create environmental benefits and save money.

“The Michigan Center for Rural Health is committed to improving the health of Michigan’s Rural residents,” said Gary Cohen, president of Health Care Without Harm and Founder of HHI. “Partnering with HHI is a key strategy to supporting rural hospitals across the state with resources to lead these communities to a healthier future.”

The leading hospital systems, supporting organizations and healthcare facilities work together to accelerate the widespread use of proven sustainability practices in six key “challenge” areas:

• Engaged leadership
• Healthier food
• Leaner energy
• Less waste
• Safer chemicals
• Smarter purchasing

Success will be measured and tracked with aggregate data that can be sorted by state or hospital-type data that will be of great use for demonstrating success.

Learn more about the Healthier Hospitals Initiative at www.healthierhospitals.org.